Snowy Dawn
by Kakashihasnicearms
Summary: Only this time around, she isn't an orphan; she's a full-fledged Uchiha. Being twin to Itachi made it only that much more difficult to change things. Time Travel. Sequel to Icy Night.
1. Chapter 1

Sumiko combed through the library, having a bit of free time since Naruto had decided to lay off missions for her since she'd had a bit of a 'meltdown'. Her children were at the Academy and Sasuke was doing something else. He'd said what, but she couldn't remember. Like she cared.

Oh, she did care for Sasuke and her children. That much was true. However, what they did on their own was completely a different matter. It was of their own volition to do something, and if they wanted, they could ask for advice. She'd give it to them gladly. If they didn't ask, she wouldn't tell. Of course, she could read their minds with her sharingan, but that took chakra and time and she suspected that her children and husband had their private thoughts and that was that.

She stumbled on an unfamiliar scroll and opened it. She glanced up and saw that the sun was setting. Quickly making the decision to check it out for a week, she went home.

* * *

><p>"What's that?" Sasuke put his head on her shoulder, looking at the scroll as they sat on a couch. Sumiko paused.<p>

"It's a scroll I found. It was different, so I wanted to read it with the small amount of free time I have left," Sumiko said.

"What's it about?" Sasuke asked again.

"I don't really know. Some of the words are faded so it's difficult to understand, but I think…" Sumiko felt something unnatural coming from the scroll and fear and adrenaline rushed through her body. Fearing for her new family's life, particularly Sasuke's, she pushed him off as far as she could and saw a light come from the scroll. Squinting, she turned her eyes away, but felt her body being pulled through a warm place. Briefly opening her eyes, she saw a slight golden light around her. Then it turned dark.

Sumiko felt cold ground under her body. She sat up and stood. Taking in her surroundings, she began to panic.

"Sasuke?" she called out. No response. She tried to push down her fear as she saw she was in a bedroom. Walking to the door, she saw that Uchiha crests covered the walls. She hastily opened the door and saw that it was dawn.

"Sumiko-san?" a voice called out. Sumiko looked to her left and saw none other than Uchiha Itachi. Sumiko pushed down her surprise; she'd deal with it later.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san," Sumiko bowed.

"No need with the formalities, imouto," Itachi waved it off. He blinked and frowned.

"You're awfully pale. Nightmares?" Itachi asked, concerned. Sumiko nodded, not really understanding what type of situation she was in.

"I was going to go on a walk…" Sumiko said and walked past him.

"I'll come," Itachi said. Sumiko cringed on the inside.

"No, it's okay. I just need some time on my own, okay?" Sumiko pleaded. Itachi nodded, understanding. Sumiko stopped for a second.

"I have one question," Sumiko turned to him. Itachi waited.

"How old are you and I?" Sumiko asked.

"Well, we were twins. I was born first, then you. We're both four, as of this dawn," Itachi said. "Are you feeling alright?"

Sumiko felt lightheaded. She felt the ground come closer and realized that she'd collapsed. But by the time she realized this, she was already unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Sumiko?" Itachi asked. Her vision focused after a moment and she almost jumped out of her skin. <em>Itachi…is alive. He's alive!<em>

"Are you feeling better?" a female voice asked softly. Sumiko turned her head, not wanting to know who it was. To her horror, she recognized the woman. Uchiha Mikoto.

"Yes," Sumiko said, almost whispering.

"Here, eat this. You'll feel better. You don't want to be sick later today, do you? It's your fourth birthday," Mikoto smiled.

Sumiko nodded and took the bowl of rice porridge and ate it, not really tasting it. Her blank face betrayed her real thoughts, thoughts that went a mile a minute. _Itachi is alive. Does this mean the Yondaime Hokage is still alive? What about Haku? Or Sasuke? If Itachi and I are siblings, does this mean I'm not Haku's cousin? Why am I here? Was it the scroll? _

Setting the finished bowl on the table, Sumiko stood and walked out, not looking at Itachi. _Wait…does this mean I can prevent the massacre?_

* * *

><p>She found herself on a training ground. She saw a small pond and stood at its edge. <em>Can I still channel chakra?<em> She stepped on the water and fell into the water. Soaking wet and annoyed, she tried to activate her sharingan. Looking into the water, she saw her sharingan had one tomoe. Sighing in bitter relief, she thought of something else.

"Ice Release: Ice Shards," Sumiko cried. Ice didn't form as large as the jutsu was supposed to allow, but small tiny snowflakes appeared. Falling on her back in exhaustion from the taxing and stressful exercises that had only lasted a minute, due to her small body and lack of chakra, she stared at the sky, deactivating her sharingan.

"Sumiko," an authoritative voice called out. A cold voice. She sat up and her eyes widened in shock.

"Tou-san," she almost messed that one up.

"What are you doing?" Fugaku asked in suspicion.

"I was trying to walk on water," Sumiko answered honestly, not wanting to make him of all people to be suspicious. Fugaku simply narrowed his eyes.

"Don't even try it," he said bluntly. Sumiko nodded, knowing he'd said the same thing Mikoto had said, in essence.

She didn't see if he motioned for her to come, so she stayed there.

"Sumiko?" Itachi came up to her. "You're soaking wet. Did you fall in?"

Sumiko nodded, annoyed.

"Kaa-san is calling us to come to the house for the party," Itachi said. Seeing her uncomprehending face, he picked her up and carried her to the house.

"Sumiko!" Mikoto exclaimed and took her from Itachi. Drying her off and dressing her in cleaner clothes, Mikoto tsked.

"What were you doing?" Mikoto asked.

"Trying to walk on water," Sumiko said. Mikoto sighed and ran a comb through Sumiko's short black hair. Mikoto ushered her out and into a room full of Uchiha's.

"Here they are," Mikoto had her hand on her two children's shoulders. After being introduced to many Uchiha, Sumiko was somehow whisked away by Itachi.

"What're you doing?" Sumiko hissed.

"I didn't want to have to talk to all the adults over and over, and by the looks of it, I'd say you're overwhelmed by it," Itachi said.

Sumiko nodded and fingered the necklace she'd been given as a present from one of the old Uchiha ladies.

**A/N Yeah…sequel…hehe XD I hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review it makes my day and I'll get the next chapter out sooner if you review~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sumiko: Age 5**

Fugaku had pushed for Itachi and Sumiko to be in the Academy a year earlier than was recommended. Minato was against it, but Fugaku had been hounding the busy Hokage for a full year, so he acquiesced.

"However, they are pushed too hard, their careers as ninja may end right then and there," Minato narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha head.

"I understand, Minato," Fugaku said. Sumiko stared at the Hokage in fascination and fear. Minato looked down.

"Hi," Minato smiled. Sumiko pictured Naruto's smile and bit her lip. Naruto was the only person she could remember smiling at everything even though he'd been dealt the worst cards in his life.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked, getting up and kneeling to her level. Sumiko stepped back in alarm.

"Nothing," Sumiko said.

"And as your godfather, you can ask me about anything," Minato looked at Sumiko and then glanced at Fugaku.

"Godfather?!" Fugaku seethed. "What did Mikoto do?"

"Actually, it was Kushina and Mikoto-san," Minato grinned.

Fugaku gritted his teeth and left. Itachi was dragged away with him but Minato had asked to talk to Sumiko in private. Sumiko waited for him to speak.

After ten long minutes, he spoke up.

"I know something is wrong. I can tell from the way your chakra is flowing," Minato said.

"I'm fine, really," Sumiko really _really_ wanted to leave.

Minato sighed. "Come with me."

Sumiko felt dizzy. She knelt to try to regain her sense of balance.

"Sorry, the Hiraishin does that to people for the first time," Minato apologized.

"I don't think you took me all the way out here for you to chat," Sumiko caught her breath.

"I didn't. I wanted to assess your skills, seeing how you might need some preparation for entering the Academy a year earlier," Minato said.

"A spar it is," Sumiko said and took out a kunai.

Minato nodded.

…

Panting hard, Sumiko felt the cold blade of his kunai against her throat. Sumiko knew she couldn't perform any jutsu except Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, a few fire style jutsu, and Ice Release: Ice Shards. And, her chakra levels could only hold perhaps three of any of these jutsu a day. Over the last year she'd been training hard to regain her muscle memory but it still wasn't as good as she had known it to be.

"You were holding back," Minato frowned. "Why're you holding back?"

Sumiko quickly thought up a lie. "Because I didn't want to strain myself. I'd tried to go all out before, but I ended up staying in bed for a week."

Minato knew she was still holding back more information, but he didn't press further.

"Do you want a snack?" Minato asked as he picked up the young Uchiha.

"Sure…" Sumiko muttered. Minato ended up walking to get taiyaki.

"Do you even like taiyaki?" Minato smiled sheepishly. "Or, have you ever had it?"

"I like it," Sumiko said. "But it's not my favorite." Sumiko didn't want any flashbacks of Sasuke, who she'd left behind. Taiyaki was one of the things they'd shared and she didn't want to be reminded of her helplessness at being unable to return home.

"Then what is?" Minato asked.

"I…I like persimmon," Sumiko said. Minato nodded and bought her some persimmon from the market.

"Thanks," Sumiko said, smiling for good measure.

Minato said something about having to go home to his wife and she waved a 'goodbye'.

Sumiko ran to the library, having never thought of going to the library until now. _I can't believe for the year I've been here I haven't thought of that! I'm losing it!_

Finally arriving at the shelf where she'd found the scroll, her hopes were dashed when she found that the scroll wasn't there. She dropped to her knees and laughed mirthlessly.

Picking herself up, she walked home, feeling even worse than when she'd arrived. The sheer panic and fear she'd felt a year ago was nothing compared to her fear and rage now.

Not even saying 'hello' to the guards, she walked with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

…

"What did Minato say?" Fugaku asked.

"Not much, but we sparred," Sumiko picked at her rice.

"Then?" Fugaku pressed.

"He said I was holding back," Sumiko had to tell the truth or he'd get it out of her one way or another.

"What do you mean?" Fugaku asked. Sumiko contemplated telling him about her sharingan or going with the same story as she'd gone with Minato.

"I know a few jutsu…" Sumiko trailed off.

"Like?"

"A few fire style, Bunshin, Henge, and Kawarimi," Sumiko said, leaving out her unnatural kekkei genkai out.

"I see. You're going to spar against me then tomorrow," Fugaku said as he finished his meal and left, leaving the other three Uchiha at the table.

Mikoto looked uncomfortable and then she broke into a grin.

"What, kaa-san?" Itachi asked.

"You two are going to get a sibling," Mikoto smiled.

"You're pregnant?" Itachi asked. Sumiko dropped her chopsticks, turning deathly pale. _It's starting…everything is happening over again…this can't happen…_

"Sumiko?" Itachi turned to his sister.

Sumiko blinked and then congratulated her mother.

"Thank you, Sumiko," Mikoto smiled at her daughter.

"Oh, and remember that you two have to go to the Academy tomorrow. I'll be there, so don't worry. Get some sleep," Mikoto said as she cleaned up the plates. Itachi and Sumiko nodded and disappeared in the Uchiha estate.

Itachi and Sumiko stuck close as Mikoto introduced them to their new sensei.

"This is Itachi, and this is Sumiko," Mikoto put her hand on each of their heads.

"I look forward to teaching you two," the sensei grinned at them. Itachi and Sumiko thanked him and they went on with socializing.

Then, the children were ushered into classrooms and to Sumiko's mild relief, she wasn't separated from the Uchiha heir. The teacher said that the people in the class should introduce themselves until someone yelled out.

"Why do we have babies in our class?!" a boy with bright green eyes and orange hair yelled out.

"Be quiet, Hideo," the teacher chided. He turned to the two Uchiha. "Please come down and introduce yourselves and tell something interesting about yourself."

Itachi and Sumiko exchanged glances and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi."

"I'm Uchiha Sumiko."

"One interesting thing about me is that I am actually the older one," Itachi looked at Sumiko.

"Only by a minute. As for me, I have excellent aim," Sumiko said. With that, the two Uchiha sat in their seats and the teacher began his lesson. By lunch, Sumiko was exhausted from fending off glares and having to listen to chakra lessons again. Walking to a tree with shade, the two Uchiha sat in silence as they ate their lunch. Sumiko sensed another student coming up from behind them and from the look of Itachi's slightly narrowed eyes, he noticed as well.

"Boo!" he yelled. Neither Uchiha flinched.

"Yes?" Sumiko asked.

"You two kids are too young to be here! Go home and cry to your mommy!" he yelled.

Sumiko gave him a blank look and continued to eat her bento.

"You two are so stupid that you can't even hear me with those teeny ears of yours," he grabbed Sumiko's ear, but before he made contact, Sumiko disappeared and reappeared behind him.

"I'm sorry to have intruded on your class," Sumiko said and sat at an empty table. Itachi body flickered to the table. Before he said anything, the bell rang.

"Let's go," Sumiko said and they walked back to class.

…

After school, Itachi and Sumiko found themselves surrounded by a group of angry preteens who demanded that they get out of their class.

"Please move," Sumiko said.

"Make me," a boy scowled at her.

Sumiko took Itachi's hand and body flickered them to the gates; their classmates were now behind them. Walking calmly, Sumiko continued.

"Hey!" a girl grabbed Sumiko's arm. Sumiko raised her brows in surprise and flared her chakra to slightly burn the girl's hand. By the time the girl would get home, the burn wouldn't even be there.

"You bitch!" the girl screamed.

Sumiko sighed. "This is the world we live in. Ninjas must protect themselves and their precious people at all costs." Sumiko's eyes glinted with pain.

"What does a toddler know of shinobi?" a boy asked.

"More than you think," Sumiko snapped and went home with Itachi.


	3. Chapter 3

The first report card came soon after they began sparring with blunt kunai and shuriken practice. Their sensei put the report cards on their desks and conversation erupted. The older kids were complaining of why they didn't get first in the class.

Sumiko looked at hers and wasn't surprised. Itachi looked slightly depressed.

"What did you get?" Sumiko asked.

"Second place in everything," Itachi said. "Who got first?"

"Me," Sumiko said, her face carefully blank. Itachi was surprised.

"Good job," Itachi said. "Imouto."

Sumiko watched the other children with mild interest. Then, one of the girls came up to her.

"What did you get?!" she demanded. Sumiko regarded her with distaste.

"First," Sumiko said. The girl looked appalled. Short brown hair framed angry purple eyes. Her face contorted from surprised to angry and bitter in milliseconds. Sumiko was barely surprised when she heard the girl's next words.

"Fight me!" she demanded.

"There's no need to fight," Itachi argued.

"I didn't ask you!" the girl glared at the older Uchiha. "Now fight me!"

Sumiko nodded, not seeing any way she'd lose anything. _If memory serves right, she was one of the last people in the class when we sparred…_

The girl led the way outside. The class had gathered outside to watch the fight.

"Go Kaede-chan!" another girl yelled.

"Beat this bitch!" another yelled.

"Let's start!" the girl said, getting into the usual Academy position. Sumiko was tired of the girl's incessant whining and anger towards her so she intended to end it both painfully and quickly. Getting into an unfamiliar position to her classmates, Sumiko waited for the girl to charge.

Pulling out a kunai, the girl let out a low battle cry with her kunai pointed directly at Sumiko. Sumiko aimed a punch for the girl's face and as the girl's attention was to the incoming fist, Sumiko quickly pulled back and simultaneously swept her legs to trip her. Falling on her backside, Sumiko kicked her hard in the side. The girl held back tears and shakily stood.

"As if I'd lose to a baby like you!" the girl yelled. Sumiko weaved a few signs. Not caring, the girl threw shuriken and charged with a kunai.

Fireballs raced towards the girl and the girl froze in fear. Sumiko, pitying the girl, threw kunai to make the girl dodge the kunai and fireball. As the fireball dissipated, the girl was on her backside looking scared out of her mind and her clothes looking slightly burned and her hair singed.

"You tried to kill me!" the girl accused, tears streaming down her face.

"As shinobi we must be prepared to face death everyday. Jutsu are just another commodity in this world of murder," Sumiko said quietly. _I wouldn't expect you to understand._

"You act like you know it! You're just a child!" the girl yelled.

"So are you. Once we become genin we are adults trained to kill," Sumiko countered.

"Then why do you act like you know what the outside world is like?!"

Sumiko faltered. She looked down at her feet. Memories of her past raced in her head and she felt guilt and bitterness well up in her chest.

"Huh?!" the girl shook with sobs. Itachi shot her a concerned glance at Sumiko and came over as the girl's friends consoled her.

"Are you okay?" Itachi asked, his black eyes searching hers. He flinched.

"What's wrong?" Sumiko asked.

"Your sharingan," Itachi's eyes widened. Sumiko bit her lip but ran to a mirror to see. Itachi was right; her sharingan was burning a deep red with still only a tomoe.

* * *

><p>"What?" Fugaku was shocked and pleased.<p>

"Sumiko was fighting a classmate and her sharingan activated," Itachi explained. Sumiko still looked blank.

"Is this true?" Fugaku turned to his daughter.

"Yes," Sumiko answered.

"Let me see."

Sumiko closed her eyes, channeled her chakra, and activated her sharingan. Fugaku nodded in approval.

"That's my daughter," Fugaku said, his voice hinting praise. "I expect great things from you as well, Itachi." Itachi nodded and the two of them were dismissed.

Sumiko sat watching the pond, mesmerized. She sensed a familiar chakra coming up from behind her, but she made no attempt to get up.

"I hear you activated your sharingan," Minato smiled.

"Yeah," Sumiko said.

"Aren't you happy?" Minato sat next to her.

"I don't like the circumstances in which I obtained it," Sumiko said, not having to lie this time.

"Fighting a classmate, huh? What was it over? A boy?" Minato teased.

"I'd gotten the highest marks and she demanded I fight her. I ended up burning her hair and clothes and she accused me of trying to kill her. I simply reminded her that the shinobi world is a place where we face death everyday," Sumiko said.

"Well, you seem down right now. How about I teach you some fuuinjutsu?" Minato smiled at her. Sumiko nodded and the two of them walked to a grassy place to start.

Minato started off by teaching her some basic kanji that are used in seals. Her stroke fluid and seamless, Minato was surprised. Feeling rushed because of Sumiko's talent, he moved on to teaching her more kanji.

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed and he'd made an effort to come by everyday to teach her. He had the nagging feeling that she'd know all the kanji all along, but he went with it anyway.<p>

"That's all the kanji that I know," Minato admitted. To be fair though, Jiraiya knew only a bit more. Kushina knew perhaps another hundred or so, but that was special seals from the Uzumaki clan. Minato didn't really dabble in her clan seals unless he found one he liked and used it as a base for other original seals.

"So, what're we doing today?" Sumiko asked.

"I was going to start teaching you some basics seals," Minato said.

"Was?" Sumiko arched a brow.

"I…I have this feeling that you know all this," Minato said. "Tell me, what do you know of writing seals? I mean what are the seals you know how to write?"

Sumiko quickly thought of this situation carefully. _If he ends up teaching me all the seals he knows, he might end up entrusting me something. Or will I end up being another Kakashi and only have a memory of him?_

Not caring after all, mainly because these two options didn't really hurt her, she told him all the seals she could write.

"Wow…you know, you're only five," Minato said. He was blown away. The seals ranged from simple Genin level to Jounin level. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea that a child could not only learn these seals but also understand the concepts and write them perfectly. Minato just _had_ to ask.

"Where did you learn all this?" Minato asked.

"Library," Sumiko said. Of course, she didn't tell him any of the forbidden seals she knew, like seals that once foreign chakra entered a set area, chakra would wrap around the person's chakra coils and burn it, rendering the person in severe pain and unable to continue their career as ninja.

"I see," Minato said.

Minato went ahead and taught her a few more seals, a few she'd forgotten to mention. She did her best trying to make it seem like she didn't know them.

The sun began to set and Sumiko and Minato were called in for tea.

"Thank you for teaching Sumiko so much," Mikoto said as she served Minato tea. Sumiko sipped her tea and watched Minato carefully.

Silence filled the room until Mikoto broke it.

"So when are you and Kushina going to be having a baby?" Mikoto asked.

"Aha…we haven't really thought about it. We were thinking about having maybe another year or another year and a half before we decide on that…plus we haven't even decided on a name," Minato smiled sheepishly. Then his face got serious.

"Mikoto-san, why are you bringing this up? Are you having another child?" Minato asked. Mikoto nodded.

"We're not sure of anything yet," Mikoto said. "But, yes."

"Congratulations," Minato said. "I'm going home to tell Kushina, so bye, Sumiko, Mikoto-san," Minato disappeared.

Mikoto took his cup and washed it. Sumiko sipped her tea and poured herself another round.

"So, how has learning fuuinjutsu going?" Mikoto asked.

"It's good. I know all the kanji and some seals," Sumiko said.

* * *

><p>The next day, Fugaku sparred with Sumiko. With her sharingan activated and shuriken and kunai and seals and jutsu at her disposal, Sumiko had a feeling that the slope was a bit less steep. However, her hopes were dashed when she realized that he'd had the upper hand all along. If she was her actual age, she'd be able to kill him easily. She'd gotten better at hiding the fact she was holding back. If he'd activated his sharingan he'd see it clearly, but he knew he'd be able to take her down in a heartbeat with his three-tomoe sharingan.<p>

Fugaku looked at his daughter with no emotion.

"I expect improvement soon," Fugaku said and went off. Sumiko panted and smirked.

Later that day, Sumiko was walking through the village and bought some persimmons. Biting into it, she kept walking until she was suddenly grabbed.

"You're Sumiko-chan, aren't you?" the woman laughed. Sumiko nodded and the woman hugged her tighter. Red hair trailed down and Sumiko knew exactly who it was.

"I'm Uzumaki Kushina, Minato's wife," Kushina grinned. "I hear great things about you!"

"Thank you," Sumiko said.

Kushina led them to her house.

"Come in, come in," Kushina insisted and Sumiko felt out of place in the Yondaime Hokage's house.

"Not to be rude, but why did you bring me here?" Sumiko asked.

"I wanted to see how much you knew about seals. I think Minato is bragging too much about his goddaughter," Kushina sat down and Sumiko sat next to her at a table. Unfurling a scroll, Sumiko wrote many of the seals she knew.

"So Minato wasn't making it up!" Kushina exclaimed. "You're a prodigy!"

Sumiko sweatdropped and noticed the setting sun.

"I've got to get home. Itachi and I have an exam tomorrow," Sumiko said and left. Kushina sang a 'goodbye' as Sumiko walked out.


	4. Chapter 4

It was night.  
>A tree splintered but didn't break into many pieces. A bloodied fist was held in front of an angry and frustrated face.<p>

"Dammit!" Sumiko yelled out and punched it again. Her fist was numb by now. Not that she cared. Screaming out again, she punched the tree with both fists until the formerly untouched fist was bloody as well. Resting a fist and forehead on the tree, Sumiko scoffed. _Why did I even get sent back 21 years? Should I just let Konoha's tragedies pass by or should I change things? _

"Sumiko."

Sumiko smiled mirthlessly.

"I'm not in a good mood," Sumiko snapped.

"Why are you out here at this time of night? You know what tomorrow is, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Sumiko gritted her teeth. A lecture was not what she needed. _Then what do I need? Should I even prevent the Kyuubi attack? I suppose the better question is, can I? Should I prevent the Uchiha Massacre? As a fully-fledged member, I should. Or should I let the child in Mikoto's body deal with it?_

"Then why are you out here?"

"It's none of your business," Sumiko said, her voice even, but to those who know of the Uchiha know that such a tone of voice in this context meant danger. Especially when said Uchiha already has their sharingan, even just one tomoe.

"Yes it is."

Sumiko knew he was right. He'd approved it, after all.

"Hokage-sama, why aren't you at home? Isn't Kushina-san waiting?" Sumiko sent him an anguished look. Minato was slightly startled. Her eyes were full of pain and anger. _Those eyes are from wartime…_Minato held back his surprise.

"I can sense your sudden spike in chakra levels. What're you afraid, no, surprised about? My talent at fuuninjutsu? My sharingan? Or how these eyes know of so much pain?" Sumiko was done with hiding. She realized what she was to do in this time. Of course, it wasn't filled with roses and joy. It was perhaps an even darker road than what she'd gone through before. Only, she'd sacrifice herself this time.

"Sumiko, what are you talking about?" Minato tried desperately to hide it. "I wanted to talk, actually."

"Then talk," Sumiko said bluntly.

"Well…I…" Minato stuttered. Sumiko's cold black eyes studied him and despite his time in the Second Shinobi World War, he felt unnerved.

"Just how skilled are you?" Minato asked.

"Before I answer that, why do you want to know?" Sumiko asked.

"Because I care about you. You make yourself secluded, even from Itachi. I'm worried," Minato didn't say anything about the possibility of her becoming a rogue nin like Orochimaru.

"Worried?" Sumiko narrowed her eyes. "Of what?"

"That you might end up running away," Minato said.

Sumiko scoffed. "I wouldn't do that." _At least not while you're alive. _

Minato nodded, a bit more at ease.

"I want you to get as much sleep as possible, so I'll keep this short. I wanted to tell you that you don't need to keep things bottled up; I'm here for you," Minato ruffled her hair. Sumiko nodded and disappeared via shunshin.

* * *

><p>Sumiko was waiting for her test. She knew she'd been selected for this, but she had no idea what it was for. That annoyed her.<p>

A few papers were passed to her and the proctor gave some to two other people: Itachi and another girl she didn't know.

"Begin."

Sumiko finished her test, realizing that this was the test she'd taken to become a genin all those years ago. She knew she'd aced it. Glancing at the other two boys, she knew Itachi would ace it as well…as for the girl, she had no idea.

After another ten minutes the girl was done, their papers were collected.

"You'll perform the Bunshin jutsu and Henge jutsu," the proctor said. "First is Uchiha Sumiko."

Sumiko followed him and performed the needed jutsu. He handed her a headband and she walked out into the hallway, waiting for the other two to finish.

Itachi and the girl walked out; both looked mildly happy that they had graduated early. Well, the two Uchiha had. The girl looked to be about five years older. Sumiko supposed that Minato had picked her to take the exam for her grades. Looking at her arms and legs, she noticed how the girl looked like she'd never trained a day in her life.

"You three have passed to become genin. Wait for you sensei," the proctor said as the three walked into a classroom to wait for their sensei.

* * *

><p>It wasn't Kakashi.<p>

"I'm Hadeishi Naoki," he said. The three genin followed him up to the roof.

"Introduction time! Tell us your name and dream for the future," Naoki smiled warmly. "First up, you." He pointed at the girl.

"I'm Miyano Yui. My dream is to become the most powerful kunoichi ever!" Yui smiled.

"Next up, you," Naoki pointed to Itachi.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi. My dream is to protect my precious people and Konoha," Itachi said. Naoki turned to Sumiko.

"I'm Uchiha Sumiko. My dream is to protect Konoha, no matter the cost," Sumiko said.

"You all have great ambitions. Meet me in the Hokage's office tomorrow morning at 7," Naoki said and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm so happy I'm a ninja!" Yui smiled. Then she looked at the two Uchiha. "Try not to bring me down, Uchiha."

"Don't worry, we won't do anything of the sort," Sumiko said, her face blank. "Let's go, Itachi."

Itachi nodded and the two of them disappeared via shunshin. Reappearing on the ground, they walked to a shop.

"This place has really good dango," Itachi smiled at his sister.

"Oh?" Sumiko said. "I don't like dango."

"What?" Itachi looked at her, concerned if she was alright. "Why?"

"Because it's too chewy," Sumiko said. _And because it brings back too many bad memories…_

"I'm sorry, I've got to meet up with Hokage-sama," Sumiko said and walked off. Itachi looked at his sister, somehow worried. He wanted to stop her and hold her and tell her she didn't have to hold in whatever was torturing his sister, the sister he'd known to be so happy…until the dawn of her fourth birthday. _What's happened to her?_

Itachi sighed. He walked into the shop and ordered some dango.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Sumiko," Minato smiled at his goddaughter.<p>

"Hokage-sama," Sumiko replied.

"Well, I'm busy right now. Sorry I can't talk much right now, but how did your test go?" Minato scribbled something down on a piece of paperwork.

"Why not just leave a clone here?" Sumiko asked.

Minato's mouth dropped. "I…never thought of that."

Sumiko sighed. "Let's go."

Minato left a clone and walked to the training grounds.

"Today I was going to teach you some taijutsu," Minato said.

"Hokage-sama, why do you always say 'was'?" Sumiko asked.

"Because when we sparred, you already had perfect form. You could be put into Chuunin rank right now, but I wanted to make sure you're ready before you're a Chuunin," Minato said.

"So, why're we here?" Sumiko asked.

"Because…" Minato scratched his neck. "I was going to entrust you the Hiraishin."

Sumiko's eyes widened. "Hokage-sama, are you sure it's alright?"

Minato nodded. "You are my goddaughter, after all."

Sumiko thanked him and walked away, saying how she wanted to think today over.

The real reason was that her eyes burned. As she came home and looked at her eyes in the mirror, she saw that she'd gained another tomoe.

Sumiko went into her room and stayed there until her mother called her for dinner.

"Sumiko! Dinner's ready!" Mikoto called out.

"Hai!" Sumiko replied and went over to the dining room.

Silence filled the dinner table with only the small taps of chopsticks to break the silence. Fugaku was out late working, so Mikoto had her two children to herself.

"So, I hear you two graduated early," Mikoto smiled.

"Yes," Itachi said.  
>"I gained another tomoe," Sumiko said, referring to her sharingan.<p>

"Really?" Mikoto and Itachi asked. "Show us."

Sumiko did as she was told and her sharingan blazed to life with two tomoe. Dinner was finished and Mikoto dismissed the two children.

Going to their separate rooms, silence washed over the Uchiha head's house. Sumiko simply read some books while Itachi sharpened some kunai.

* * *

><p>Three months passed. Naoki and his team had completed 30 D-Rank missions over this time. Minato had decided to allow them their first C-Rank mission.<p>

Meeting at the gates, Naoki's team set off.

The C-Rank mission was to deliver a scroll to a town near the border of Suna.

"This is amazing!" Yui said loudly. Itachi and Sumiko cringed; being loud when outside the village could attract trouble.

In this case, the trouble happened to be a swarm of wasps going after Yui.

Yui screamed, only making the wasps more agitated. Naoki managed to get the wasps away from Yui after a few minutes. Sumiko stood still, putting her chakra out in waves to check for any ninja in the area.

None, from what she could tell. Well, only having perhaps a fifth of her original chakra levels, she couldn't spend a lot on checking. She needed to save some for fighting, knowing that wasps probably weren't the beginning.

"Yui, calm down," Sumiko said. Yui was still whimpering.

"I can't! What if you were attacked with wasps?!" Yui shook.

"I'd burn them," Sumiko said.

"How am I supposed to kill them if I don't know any jutsu?!" Yui argued.

"You have kunai, shuriken, paper bombs, light bombs, and smoke bombs. I'm sure you'd figure something out," Sumiko replied.

"Shut up! You don't know what it's like to be attacked like that!" Yui said.

Sumiko shook her head in disbelief. She was genuinely surprised that Yui was this weak.

"Let's go," Naoki said. The three genin followed.

* * *

><p>It took four days to reach the border. Four since Yui wanted to stop every so often because she was sure that there was a wild boar or something after them. Sumiko thought the same, but instead of it being a boar, it was probably nuke nin. Sumiko almost laughed at the irony; being a former nuke nin having to fight nuke nin.<p>

"Thanks," the Suna nin said as Naoki handed him the scroll.

The Suna nin smirked and unfurled the scroll. In a cloud of smoke, three nuke nin appeared. Sumiko activated her sharingan, seeing how they positioned their bodies; they were skilled. However, their tattered clothes told another story: they were failed nuke nin.

Taking out a kunai, Naoki engaged one of the nin, Itachi another, and Sumiko the last. Yui stood, shaking like the leaf that she proudly tied on her forehead. Suddenly, one of the nuke nin ran off, with Itachi following.

"Give up, kid!" the nin said to Itachi. Sumiko could see the slight facial change on Itachi and knew he was going to follow.

"You're not running to your friend!" the nin Sumiko was fighting said, angered she'd taken her attention off of him. Sumiko blew some loose hair out of her face and burned him to death with a sudden fireball. Sumiko ran off to where Itachi was.

Itachi had a gash on his side and Sumiko could see that the sword the nin held was about to go for the finishing blow.

Sumiko managed to block the attack with her body, unable to have enough time to parry with her kunai.

Blood dripped from her arm and her sharingan angrily blazed with three tomoe.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Sumiko screamed and she ran her kunai into him as he was there, shocked she'd blocked his sword. Staggering back in pain, she weaved signs and fire burned his body. He lay in a pool of blood, his face burned to be an eternal scream.

Itachi had a deep gash and was unconscious. Sumiko quickly wrapped him up and put him on her back.

"Itachi-kun!" Yui screamed. "Naoki-sensei! Anyone!"

Sumiko glared harshly at the girl. Yui had managed to get lost in some thin brush.

"Oi!" Sumiko said. Yui looked up.

"Sumiko-san!" Yui cried, happy that she'd found someone. "Naoki-sensei…he's…"

"What?" Sumiko demanded.

"He was killed!" Yui sobbed. Sumiko gritted her teeth.

"We're going back to Konoha. You carry Itachi," Sumiko said.

"Why me?" Yui asked, suddenly defensive.

"Because I can fight off anyone who comes near us!" Sumiko growled.

"What do you mean?" Yui narrowed her eyes. Sumiko shook her head and went back to Konoha as fast as she could.

* * *

><p>In the hospital, Sumiko sat by Itachi's bed with an arm bandaged.<p>

Minato, Fugaku, and Mikoto walked in.

"What happened?" Minato asked.

Sumiko turned to him, not wanting to move anymore.

"Tell him," Fugaku's cold voice didn't allow any whining.

"Once we got to the border with the scroll, the Suna nin opened the scroll and three nuke nin came out. They were too skilled. I killed one of them, Naoki died, and I barely managed to protect Itachi from the swordsman, who was very skilled with it. Then Itachi passed out from blood loss; the gash he'd received was very deep. Then Yui and I went back to Konoha," Sumiko said.

Minato bit his lip, feeling personally responsible.

"I'm sorry," Minato said. "I really am. I should've never given you this mission."

"It's okay, Hokage-sama. Itachi and I are still alive," Sumiko gave him a weary smile.

"Did anything else happen?" Fugaku asked.

"Yes, I gained another tomoe," Sumiko said.

"Two tomoe now?"

"Three," Sumiko studied him carefully.

"You're truly my daughter," Fugaku said and left with Mikoto following.

Minato sat with Sumiko until Itachi came to.

"How are you feeling?" Minato asked softly.

"Fine, Hokage-sama," Itachi answered.


	5. Chapter 5

Six months passed.

Itachi and Sumiko and Fugaku were finally let into the hospital room and saw Mikoto holding the small baby wrapped in blankets.

"It's a boy," Mikoto said. Sumiko felt her blood freeze.

"What's his name?" Sumiko asked carefully, taking a seat.

"Sasuke," Fugaku answered. Mikoto smiled and nodded.

Itachi took the baby and smiled down at the baby. Sumiko fingered the special kunai Minato had given her; the one with the jutsu formula and jutsu she'd mastered to his level of skill.

Itachi handed her the baby and she could've sworn the baby acted strange around her. She glared at the baby, but he seemed unfazed. Handing the baby back to Mikoto, Sumiko watched as the baby continued to stare at her.

"He likes you," Mikoto smiled.

"Yeah," Sumiko said, her face blank.

Another hour passed and Fugaku left with Sumiko following him.

Sumiko walked to Minato's house to tell them of the news.

"Well I'm pregnant too!" Kushina grinned.  
>Sumiko smiled at the woman and sipped the tea she'd served.<p>

A man with white hair walked in as Minato was reading and Kushina and Sumiko were talking.

"Jiraiya-sensei!" Minato greeted.

"Minato," Jiraiya smiled warmly at his former student.

The two of them talked about making Jiraiya the unborn child's godfather.

"Are you sure?!" Jiraiya freaked out. "It was just a name I made up when I was eating ramen…"

"Naruto…I think it's a great name," Kushina walked over with her swollen stomach.

"Kushina…" Jiraiya's eyes softened at the young mother.

Jiraiya was suddenly aware of two eyes staring at him.

"Who are you?" Jiraiya asked.

"Uchiha Sumiko," Sumiko answered.

"So you're the kid Minato keeps talking about," Jiraiya said, his eyes still cautious. Just the way all their eyes were around Uchiha. Still, the young Uchiha wasn't fazed by it.

* * *

><p>October 10th came. Sumiko was uneasy. She didn't want Minato to die, but on the other hand, it had to happen, didn't it?<p>

Sumiko gritted her teeth in frustration as she walked with Minato and Kushina. Her mother passed by with Sasuke in her arms.

"This is Sasuke," Mikoto smiled. "I hope our boys become great friends."

Kushina nodded. Then the three of them disappeared to Kushina's secret place where she was going to give birth.

Suddenly, Kushina fell silent and the baby boy's wails filled the air. Kushina held the baby to her arms and the couple rejoiced. Sumiko activated her sharingan and gripped a kunai as a masked nin came and grabbed Naruto in a split second. Sumiko recognized his chakra immediately.

Minato grabbed Naruto and disappeared, leaving Sumiko to deal with the mysterious nin.

"Hand over the Kyuubi and I won't kill you," Obito said.

"Absolutely not," Sumiko's sharingan blazed to life. Over the past year, she'd been working hard to increase her chakra levels and make it so that she could use more of her ice release jutsu.

"Fine by me," Obito said as he charged at Sumiko. Sumiko knew his game and as soon as he materialized for even a second, she marked him the Hiraishin. Only, at that moment, he'd stabbed her with two kunai in each leg.

Sumiko cursed herself for being so careless.

"Sumiko!" Kushina stood shakily but was whisked away by Obito.

* * *

><p>Naruto became an orphan that night. Sumiko was standing outside the barrier and watched as Minato and Kushina were impaled by the Kyuubi's claw. Minato looked up and saw Sumiko.<p>

"Take care of Naruto," Minato said as Kushina gave her final words to Naruto. Sumiko nodded, not shedding tears like Kushina had. Then Minato sealed the Kyuubi and the seal went down.

"Kushina!" Hiruzen yelled.

"His name…is Naruto. Sumiko will take care of him…" Kushina whispered as she died in his arms. Sumiko stepped out of the shadows.

"Sumiko," Hiruzen watched the six year old's reaction carefully. He was shocked to see how she didn't seem to feel a lot of loss. As if it were common to see one's sensei die.

"Sarutobi-sama, or should I say, Hokage-sama?" Sumiko asked as she looked at the crying baby.

"Uzumaki Naruto, huh?" Sumiko sighed.

"Yeah. It'll protect the child from his father's enemies," Hiruzen caught on. Sumiko nodded and picked up the baby.

In the hospital, Kakashi had demanded to see Naruto.

"Kakashi, you're going to have to stay away from Naruto. It'll keep the truth away. If word gets out that he's Minato's son, Kumo and Iwa might want revenge and kill what's left of the Yellow Flash," Hiruzen warned.

Kakashi balled up his fists.

Hiruzen studied the young jounin.

"I'll let you be his ANBU protector," Hiruzen acquiesced. Kakashi thanked him. Sumiko knocked.

"How did you get permission to be here?" Kakashi asked.

"It's a long story," Sumiko's eyes turned back to black. "So, what're we doing with Naruto?"

"He is going to be placed in the orphanage," Hiruzen said. "When he is six, he'll get his own apartment."

Sumiko nodded.

"Why are you so involved?" Kakashi asked. "I never saw you so interested in any of Minato-sensei's affairs before."

"I was his goddaughter, after all. I saw him die but I couldn't take the barrier down. He'd said, 'Take care of Naruto' to me, so I can't not be involved. You were held back, for a reason that's clear. However, Minato had entrusted me his son's well being, so please don't take our your grief on me," Sumiko snapped.

"Don't act so cocky just because you know his last words! You're just a child!" Kakashi glared.

"Unless I'm mistaken, you graduated the Academy early like I did," Sumiko replied.

"I knew him for longer! You know nothing of him!" Kakashi yelled.

"Then why did he entrust his Hiraishin to me?" Sumiko asked, her understanding eyes contradicted her age. Kakashi couldn't answer that.

"Stop fighting," Hiruzen said sternly. "Go home, both of you."

The two ninja did as they were told and went home.

* * *

><p>"Sumiko!" Itachi greeted her at the door. He looked at her up and down. "You're hurt!"<p>

Sumiko sighed and looked down at her legs. The adrenaline rush had stopped when she managed to get back to the Uchiha compound. By now, her legs were on fire. The baby in Itachi's arm seemed both alarmed, but unsurprised. She glared hard at the baby. He didn't seem to mind.

Sumiko sat on the floor, her legs dripping with blood. She'd managed to tie some bandages around it, but walking home had reopened the wound.

Itachi came back with some salve and more bandages. Sumiko tore her pants up to her mid thigh and allowed Itachi to patch her up.

"Thanks," Sumiko muttered. Itachi smiled and put the first aid away.

"You know, Sasuke was restless all night. I heard a huge explosion…what was it?" Itachi asked.

"The Kyuubi broke its seal and destroyed part of the village. The Yondaime Hokage and his wife are dead," Sumiko said.

"What?!" Itachi looked at her with concerned eyes. "But…wasn't the Yondaime's wife kaa-san's friend? The one who was going to have a baby?"

Sumiko nodded. "This is confidential information. I'm sure you've heard of the Yellow Flash. He'd made enemies and if word gets out he's the Yondaime's son, he'll be killed. And yes, Naruto's parents are the Yondaime and Uzumaki Kushina. Sandaime and I have already made some arrangements concerning the orphan."

Itachi gritted his teeth. "How did they die?"

"Yondaime sealed half of the Kyuubi in himself and prevented it's resurrection by using the Death Reaper seal. The other half he sealed in Naruto."

"Then how did they die?" Itachi asked.

"Upon sealing half of it, Yondaime and Kushina protected Naruto from being impaled by the claw of the Kyuubi. Yondaime died because the Death Reaper seal takes the soul of the caster and Kushina died due to blood loss," Sumiko sighed. "And before you ask, I couldn't help because they'd put up a seal."

* * *

><p>Sumiko lay in the grassy training ground, wondering what to do now. <em>Naruto is an orphan and Sasuke is here. I could let things slide by or I could do something. I could save Itachi the trouble of killing everyone, not like I mind. Fugaku and Mikoto weren't my parents to begin with. Well, here they are, but…nevermind. If Hiruzen stays Hokage, the timeline here will be the same. Hmm…should I do something reckless? Should I join ANBU? Or should I become Chuunin and then Jounin and be a team leader? Maybe not, that isn't much fun. What about Orochimaru? <em>

Sumiko shook her head. _I need to make up my mind. _

Kakashi came into view.

"Sorry…for yelling like that," Kakashi said. "I know he meant a lot to you. I'm just…I just want to protect Naruto…"

Sumiko didn't comfort the Jounin.

"What do you think I should do now? I'm just a genin," Sumiko sighed.

"What? I thought you were a Chuunin," Kakashi said.

"I'm not exactly like you," Sumiko said. "Although, from what Minato told me, we both possess the sharingan." Kakashi stiffened.

"Yeah," Kakashi said curtly. "Well, with your skill, you could easily be Chuunin."

Sumiko nodded and walked away.

**A/N I understand my writing is becoming a bit filler-ish and boring and such, but I needed these chapters because they are important, at least for setting up the mood for later chapters. Next chapter will be the entrance ceremony for Sasuke and Naruto.**


	6. Chapter 6

"Why isn't nee-chan coming?" Sasuke pouted.

"Am I no good?" Itachi teased.

"You're great, nii-chan! But nee-chan…" Sasuke looked away.

"Let's go, Sasuke," Mikoto said.

With that, the three Uchiha left their house and walked to the Academy.

On the way there, they saw Sumiko walking with a small blonde, who was asking her questions. Sasuke smiled and ran over.

"Nee-chan!" he grinned.

She looked at him but didn't say anything.

"Naruto-kun, he's a good boy. He's nice; he'll be your best friend," Sumiko said to the blonde. Naruto glanced at Sasuke.

"Yeah," Naruto smiled a little at Sasuke.

"If he isn't nice to you, I'll beat him," Sumiko said, her face serious. Sasuke knew she'd make good on her words, so he had to be nice.

The five of them arrived at the Academy and multiple glares were sent to Naruto. He seemed unfazed.

"So this is Uchiha Sasuke? Your sister and brother were the best in their year. I hope you'll do just as well," Iruka smiled at Sasuke. He saw the blonde.

"Iruka-sensei, this is Uzumaki Naruto," Sumiko rested a hand on his shoulder. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "If anything happens to him, I'll make sure that _problem_ is eliminated," Sumiko's sharingan shone. Iruka gulped and nodded.

"Hi, Naruto-kun," Iruka smiled uneasily at Naruto.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto grinned and bent his arms behind his neck.

"Oh, and also, Hokage-sama's mission for me is to be your assistant for two weeks," Sumiko said, her sharingan faded to black. Iruka nodded.

"Bye, Sasuke," Itachi and Mikoto waved and left. Sasuke smiled, but didn't like the idea of being in a room with his sister, who he knew could kill. She was a genin, something he considered to be of high rank.

* * *

><p>The children filed into the classroom.<p>

"Alright class, before I have you all do introductions, I'm Umino Iruka and this is Uchiha Sumiko. She's my assistant for two weeks," Iruka said, gesturing to the girl sitting in the back. She stood and walked to the front.

"For introductions, I want to know your name, hobbies, dreams, dislikes, and likes," Sumiko said. "For example, I'm Uchiha Sumiko. My hobbies are training. My dream is to protect Konoha no matter how many I have to kill. I don't like much of anything in particular. I do, however, like persimmons," Sumiko said.

The children were in shock and slightly scared of this genin who wasn't afraid to kill.

Iruka sighed. He pointed at children to start and Sumiko zoned back in when her brother and Naruto went.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. My hobby is training with nii-chan and kaa-san. My dream is to be as strong as Sumiko-neechan. I don't like ramen but I like tomatoes," Sasuke smiled at his sister. She just seemed disinterested.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! My hobby is trying different kinds of ramen! My dream is be become Hokage! I hate tomatoes! But I like ramen," Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who seemed offended by his statement. Glaring at the boy, Sasuke stopped as he felt angry eyes on him. He turned and saw his sister glaring. He smiled at Naruto and sat down.

* * *

><p>Lunch came and Sumiko noticed how Naruto didn't have any lunch.<p>

"Naruto, what did I tell you about lunch?" Sumiko chided.

"Sorry," Naruto said. Sumiko sighed. "Sasuke, get over here."

Sasuke, grateful his sister called him over so that he could escape the fangirls, ran over.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked.

"Share your lunch. I know kaa-san made a lot for you," Sumiko said.

"Hai," Sasuke smiled and sat next to Naruto. He handed him another pair of chopsticks and they shared Sasuke's lunch. Sasuke looked up.

"You aren't going to eat?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Sumiko said.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"None of your business," Sumiko snapped and walked away with Sasuke looking at her back with the Uchiha crest on it.

"What's with her?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"Whenever it came to me, she never really was a warm and fuzzy person. She's a little better to nii-chan, but not much. It's like she's in her own world, not wanting anyone to come near. It scares me sometimes, how lonely she must get," Sasuke said. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You know what I heard?"

Naruto shook his head.

"I hear that she saw the Yondaime Hokage die. After that, she was different. She was only six, but she was already a genin able to use her sharingan."

Naruto gaped. "Really?" Sasuke nodded.

"Your sister is really strong. I can see why you'd want to be as strong as her," Naruto nodded. The two children went back to the classroom.

* * *

><p>"If any of you were paying attention, you know what chakra is," Sumiko surveyed the class. She saw a child who didn't seem to pay attention. "Ino, what is chakra?"<p>

Flustered, the girl stuttered but wasn't able to answer it. Sumiko sighed and picked on a girl with dark hair.

"Hinata-chan, please answer it," Sumiko said gently. Hinata stuttered, but answered it correctly.

"That's right. Now, did everyone hear it? If you didn't, pray to Kami-sama you pass this quiz," Sumiko handed out a pop quiz. The children looked frightened, but Iruka had no choice but to let her do this since she was only here for two weeks.

After twenty minutes, Sumiko collected the five-question quiz. She sat down and graded them as Iruka went over some other concepts. Ten minutes later, she stood.

"Out of a class of twenty, we have ten who aced it, five who missed one, and the rest of you either passed or failed," Sumiko said. She handed the quizzes back.

Groans and whining filled the room. A few were pleased.

"Nee-chan, look!" Sasuke held it up. Sumiko looked at him.

"I know, I graded them," Sumiko said. "If you want reference, look at Naruto's."

Sasuke had gotten a 100% but in red writing it said 'explain further'. Sasuke, angry that his sister hadn't acknowledged it his work, looked at Naruto's.

Naruto had aced it and received no marks. True, Naruto had explained further.

"It's okay. It's just a quiz. Now you know how to improve," Naruto smiled at the Uchiha.

"But nee-chan isn't happy for me…" Sasuke hid his tears. "I wish she'd be nice like kaa-san for once…"

Sumiko overheard and picked up Sasuke by the back of his collar.

"Nee-chan! Put me down!" Sasuke squirmed.

"So you want me to be nice?" Sumiko asked, her voice laden with hurt. Then it hardened. "Get stronger then." She dropped Sasuke and he looked up at her with shock.

* * *

><p>The week after that, they started kunai and shuriken practice.<p>

"Sumiko, please demonstrate," Iruka handed her some blunt kunai. She threw them and got bulls eye every time.

"This is what you all want to aim for eventually. It took me some time to get these results. Don't be hard on yourself if you don't get it right."

Sumiko watched with mild interest as the class went. Many of the girls went up to her for help.

"Please, tell us," Sakura pleaded.

"Figure it out yourself," Sumiko shook them off and watched the rest of the class go. Naruto was close to getting perfect and Sasuke was a mirror image.

"Nee-chan!" Sasuke smiled at her. Sumiko simply chided him on his form and not getting perfect. She turned to Naruto and basically repeated it.

"At least you two don't need that much improvement," Sumiko said, gesturing to the pink-haired girl who wasn't anywhere close. Sumiko walked over to the young Hyuuga.

"Good job, Hinata-chan," Sumiko said. Hinata blushed and mumbled a thank you.

* * *

><p>The day was almost over, but Sumiko wanted to show them something cool, and also something for them to strive for.<p>

"Iruka-sensei and I are going to spar using only ninjutsu and genjutsu," Sumiko said. Her sharingan activated.

"Actually, Sumiko, I have to do something right now," Iruka walked away quickly. Sumiko sweatdropped.

"How come he left?" Naruto asked. Then he noticed her eyes. "Your eyes!"

The class peered in and stared at her blood-red eyes.

"Cool!" the class chimed.

Sasuke felt proud; he was related to someone this strong.

"Nee-chan, how did you awaken your sharingan? When do you think I will?" Sasuke grinned. Sumiko paused.

"I awakened in on my C-Rank while protecting Itachi from being killed from nuke-nin," Sumiko half-lied.

"What happened?" the class sat to listen to her story.

"Well, it was our first C-Rank. We were to deliver a scroll to Suna's border. Upon arriving there, the scroll was unfurled. My sensei died in battle and I just barely managed to bring back Itachi alive with my teammate, who was useless," Sumiko said.

"Well, you all are dismissed for today," Sumiko said and the crowd dispersed, leaving only Naruto and Sasuke.

"Walk me home," both of them said. Sumiko made a clone and had the clone walk with Sasuke.

"Let's go, Naruto," Sumiko said and walked the blonde home.

She could see the glares that were sent at the blonde. He didn't seem to notice or didn't let it bother him.

"Sasuke told me that you were taught by the Yondaime Hokage and that you saw him die," Naruto said. Sumiko froze.

"Sorry…" Naruto looked down.

"Why do you bring this up? Do you want to know about him?" Sumiko asked. Her eyes were cold. Naruto faltered.

"Well, is he the reason you're so strong?" Naruto asked, uneasily.

"I suppose," Sumiko said. They walked to his apartment in silence.

"Bye, Sumiko-chan," Naruto turned and waved, only to see that she'd disappeared. Naruto had a feeling that this wouldn't be the first time she'd disappear.

**A/N I came to a realization: I shouldn't care that much that my writing is slowly falling apart. I like the idea. I have at least one follower. That's good enough for me. Whether or not people read it is out of my hands.**


	7. Chapter 7

Sumiko, despite not being the first born, was allowed to come to the secret Uchiha meetings. She knew Itachi was in ANBU and spying on them; she'd received the same invitation as him. She'd declined; it would hinder her from watching over Naruto and Sasuke. Fugaku, not bothered much by her declination, allowed Itachi to enter. He considered her to be even more powerful than Itachi in some ways.

"Ne, what do you think is going to happen?" Shisui asked as they sat next to each other in the meeting.

"War. Either Konoha makes arrangements for us, or we'll start a civil war," Sumiko said.

Shisui hummed in agreement. Fugaku called her up. Sumiko, slightly surprised, came up to the front.

"This is my daughter, the one who will be heir. She is fourteen and has all three tomoe of her sharingan. With her strength, we'll take down Konoha and have an Uchiha as Hokage!" Fugaku announced and the older Uchiha hurrahed in agreement. Sumiko shot Shisui a look of fear.

* * *

><p>"What?" Sumiko asked, shocked. "Danzo took your eye?"<p>

"Yeah. Take the other. He'll be looking for me soon; I need you to protect Itachi and Konoha," Shisui said. Sumiko faltered. Guilt welled up in her chest.

"Hurry," Shisui said, taking out his eye. He held it out and Sumiko sealed it in a scroll.

"Shisui…I always admired your strength. I won't let your sacrifice be in vain," Sumiko hugged him and he pushed her away and fell into the cavity behind him, into a river, instantly killing him.

Tears streamed down her face. Sumiko wiped them away. Her eyes burned with a familiar sensation; her mangekyo sharingan.

"I can't believe I cried," Sumiko muttered.

The next day, Itachi was being interrogated for Shisui's death.

"I didn't see him yesterday," Itachi said. Sasuke hid behind the door with fear on his face. Sumiko walked to Itachi.

"Itachi didn't see him yesterday," Sumiko said. "Please leave."

"Answer our questions first. We know that both of you considered him to be like a brother to you. Are you sure you know nothing of his whereabouts?"

"Neither of us have seen him recently. I'm saddened to hear about his sudden death," Sumiko stepped in front of Itachi.

"However, us at the Police HQ have decided to investigate this fully," the clansmen handed a piece of paper to Sumiko. "It's his suicide note."

"If it's suicide, what is left to investigate?" Itachi asked.

"For those who can use the sharingan, it's easy to forge handwriting."

_I'm tired of the duties. There is no future for Uchiha. Or for me. I cannot walk this 'path' anymore. _Is what the note read.

"He was feared as Shisui of the Shunshin. He'd do anything for this clan. I doubt he'd write this and just die."

Sumiko narrowed her eyes.

"It's not wise to judge others by your preconceptions and their appearances," Sumiko warned.

"Take this and give it to ANBU," they said as Sumiko handed it to Itachi.

"I certainly there'll be more evidence."

"We, the Police Force, have other connections to the ANBU as well. If you try to hide anything, we'll know right away."

"Why don't you be more direct?" Sumiko asked, her sharingan blazing to life.

In an instant, the three clansmen were on the ground and Sumiko berated them for being narrow minded.

Then Fugaku appeared.

"What on earth is wrong?" he asked.  
>"Nothing is wrong. I've just been carrying out my duty," Sumiko said.<p>

"Then why didn't you come last night?" Fugaku demanded. Sumiko pressed her lips in a thin line and threw a kunai at the wall, cracking the Uchiha crest. The clansmen yelled for her to stop acting this way, and threatened jailtime.

"We can't put up with you anymore," the clansmen gritted his teeth. "Captain, order an arrest!"

"Stop, nee-chan!" Sasuke yelled. Sumiko froze and dropped to her knees.

"I didn't kill Shisui. But for what I have said, I am deeply sorry," Sumiko said.  
>"She's been busy dealing with preparing for the Jounin exams and training with Sasuke and his friend. I can't arrest her without the an official order. Besides, I'll deal with my daughter myself," Fugaku said. The clansmen tried to argue, but were dismissed.<p>

Neither Itachi nor Sasuke missed Sumiko's sharingan changing into a different shape.

The next day, Sumiko watched as Fugaku taught Sasuke Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Sumiko smiled as Sasuke managed to get it perfect after three tries.

"Don't follow after your sister," Fugaku warned. Sasuke looked over at Sumiko and saw that she was gone. Shocked and confused of about why, Sasuke remained silent.

Sasuke remembered his sister's sharingan the day before.

"Tou-san, are there different types of sharingan?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," Fugaku said. "The mangekyo sharingan."

Mikoto handed Sasuke his lunch.

"Have a good day," Mikoto smiled at her son as he ran off.

* * *

><p>Bodies littered the street. Itachi ran up to his brother, who looked terrified.<p>

"Sasuke!" Itachi called out. Sasuke turned and saw his brother.

"Where's Sumiko?" Itachi asked. Sasuke shook his head.

They ran to the Uchiha head's house and stood at the door where their parents were.

Itachi pushed the door open. There stood Sumiko and their parent's bodies lay dead on the ground.

"Sumiko-neechan!" Sasuke cried. "Who did this?"

"Sasuke, Sumiko did," Itachi said. Sasuke felt his blood freeze.

"No…that can't be! Sumiko-neechan wouldn't do that!" Sasuke argued. Sumiko stood there with her mangekyo sharingan. Itachi and Sasuke looked into it and Sasuke screamed as the death of his parents replayed in his mind over and over.

As Sasuke was about to collapse, Itachi caught him. In the minutes the two Uchiha had before their innocent Sasuke woke up, Sumiko spoke.

"Protect Sasuke," Sumiko said.

"I never thought you'd go this far for the village," Itachi said, holding back tears. Sumiko sighed.

"I'm sorry," Sumiko said.

"For?" Itachi asked.

"For ruining Sasuke's life. If Yondaime were still alive, I know he'd do something, something to prevent tou-san from wanting to take over the village. Still, Sandaime wasn't well liked by the older legation of Konoha," Sumiko said.

"I know," Itachi said. "I know you also cared for the Uzumaki boy. I'll take care of him," Itachi smiled sadly at his sister.

"Thank you," Sumiko said as Sasuke woke up.

"Nii-san…nee-chan…" Sasuke opened his eyes. Sumiko disappeared. Itachi and Sasuke ran after her.

"Sasuke, never seek me out," Sumiko said. "Stay here and protect Konoha with your brother. I am darkness, as dark as my name suggests. If you wish to protect everything you love, do not betray anyone and stay loyal to Konoha. If you don't, I will kill you."

Sasuke shook with sobs.

"Why did you kill them?!" Sasuke yelled, tears streaming down his face.

"Because…I've always hated them," Sumiko said, throwing an ice spear at him to keep him away.

"Ice release?" Itachi asked. "How?"

Sumiko shook her head. She beat Sasuke until he was unconscious.

"I'll always love you, Sasuke," Sumiko whispered to his unconscious body and walked away with Itachi watching with bitterness.

* * *

><p>Darkness covered her defection. However, before she left, she sensed something in the forests. Something almost bright.<p>

Sumiko concealed her chakra and looked at the area. She peered in the darkness and saw a body.

"S-sumiko?" the body asked, slowly getting up. Sumiko stepped back and cringed.

"Sumiko?" he straightened.

In the moonlight, she saw blonde hair.

"Hokage-sama, you're dead. You're just a figment of my imagination. You don't exist anymore. I saw you die," Sumiko said, saying it aloud to convince herself.

"Then…why am I alive?" Minato asked.

"Get away from me!" Sumiko yelled, throwing all her special three-pronged kunai at him to prevent him from following her. She quickly got away from the village.

Minato, already disoriented, thought it best not to follow her. _Now that I think of it, she had a lot of blood marring her face._

Minato shook his head and went to the Hokage tower.

* * *

><p>In the month after she'd been accepted, Sumiko heard news of Konoha's dead Hokage taking the hat again.<p>

"Is that so?" Sumiko asked, looking at Kisame.

"That's what I've heard. My sources are rarely wrong," Kisame said.

Sumiko went to the communal kitchen, where Konan often made their meals.

"I'll help," Konan gave Sumiko a rare smile.

Sumiko didn't respond.

"You're always so quiet. Us girls have to stick together. If something's bothering you, tell me," Konan said.

"Yeah," Sumiko said, mainly to get her off her back.

After an hour, the curry was ready. The Akatsuki members ate it and were shocked.

"This is acceptable food," Sasori and Pein said.

"This is the shit! I can't believe this bitch has Jashin-sama's skill at cooking!" Hidan exclaimed as he ate it in huge mouthfuls.

"I'm sorry I asked to help; you're more than capable in the kitchen," Konan said. Sumiko nodded and sipped her tea, not wanting to eat.

"You're not going to eat?" Deidara asked. Sumiko looked at him as if to say _What do you think?_

"Well?" Deidara narrowed his eyes. Sumiko remained silent.

"You're too quiet. Say something," Deidara ordered.

"Stay away from me," Sumiko said as she almost impaled him with an ice spear.

"Oi! Don't walk away from me!" Deidara yelled as she walked away. She turned to look at him, her sharingan showing a different pattern, one with something similar to a snowflake in her eyes.

"Hn," Sumiko said and glared. Deidara seemed to only get angrier.


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm on the roster again?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah," Minato said.

Silence passed in the room for a long time.

"Sensei, you should get home," Kakashi said.

Minato stopped and looked at the Jounin. "You're right…I need sleep."

Kakashi held back his tongue. _You're wrong! Your son! You were supposed to go home to congratulate him for graduating at the top of his class!_

Kakashi sighed. "I'm going home, sensei."

He leapt out of the window and went to a home.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat on the table. It was too quiet. He sat in the house that was too big for two people. The silence was heavy; it's weight made speech small and somehow useless.<p>

His father had avoided him to a degree. Naruto looked like his mother, his face the same shape. His speech, his personality a harsh reminder of what Minato had lost that night.

_I promise, I'll be home tonight. It's your graduation dinner after all._

Naruto bit his lip. It was always like that. Ever since his father came back, he was reminded of his dead wife. He knew almost nothing of his mother except her name and her face from the picture on the altar commemorating her.

Naruto, could, pull pranks to get his father's attention. He'd done that before. Only, his father did have his attention on him.

_Naruto, please, just go._

After the look that was worse than his father's inattention to him, worse than the looks of hate he'd received from the villagers, worse than the ignores he received from the villagers. Oh, the look of pain and hurt and nostalgia on his father's face was the worst thing he ever received. Worse than having all his ribs shattered on his fifth birthday in an alley, worse than the loneliness he'd spent for the first six years of his life. Only now, he was twelve. Almost thirteen.

After the look on his father's face, he threw himself into his studies and tied with Sasuke at the top of his Academy class.

A shadow slightly obscured the ray of moonlight.

"Hi."

Naruto looked up. "Kakashi-san."

"Naruto," Kakashi ruffled the now-genin's hair.

"What?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi paused.

"Do you want to get something to eat? Anything, it's on me," Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned like there was no tomorrow, hopping off the table. He followed Kakashi into the village.

"Senpai," Itachi said.

"Itachi-san," Naruto grinned.

"Naruto-kun," Itachi smiled at the blonde. "I heard you tied with Sasuke in the Academy. Congratulations."

"Thanks!" Naruto chirped.

"Senpai, I hear I am on the roster for the Jounin sensei's," Itachi said.

"You are. I helped Minato-sensei organize it. I figured that you should try it out," Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Thank you. I only came to ask you this. I'm sorry for interrupting your night, senpai, Naruto-kun," Itachi said.

"It's fine," Kakashi waved it off and waved him goodbye as Itachi walked home.

"So, what do you want?" Kakashi asked, his hands in his pockets.

"Hmmm…persimmon," Naruto grinned.

"Oh?" Kakashi asked.

"Then ramen!" Naruto said. "I don't want to waste all of your money, so that's it."

"Ok then," Kakashi said. He bought some persimmon and went to Ichiraku Ramen.

Naruto happily slurped his ramen and finished it in ten minutes.

"I heard you tied with Uchiha Sasuke," Teuchi said. "That's wonderful."

"Thanks!" Naruto said. "See ya!" Naruto left with Kakashi and went back to the house.

Silence seemed to creep away from the two as they walked in. Naruto somehow felt a little better. He sent out his chakra to see if his father was asleep in the house. He wasn't.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, one of the Princess Gale movies," Naruto said.

* * *

><p>The screen was black after two hours. Kakashi sat with Naruto's head on his chest. A moment they'd never admit to, but Kakashi knew Naruto needed the comfort, no matter how insignificant it was in comparison to the idea of his father praising him. Just the notion of it made Naruto both sadder and hopeful. Sadder because he knew it would never come, but hopeful because he hoped for it.<p>

In a half-sleep daze, Naruto mumbled.

"Ne, Kakashi-san," Naruto started.

"Hm?" Kakashi looked down at the young boy.

"Do you know why I got persimmon?" Naruto's eyes glinted with anger and pain.

"Why?" Kakashi played along.

"Because it reminded me of Sumiko-chan," Naruto said.

Kakashi stiffened.

"Sorry…I know she was your friend."

"It's alright. But you know that if she ever appears in your presence, to run, right?" Kakashi's heart ached saying this. Sumiko was nothing more than a friend, but a fellow disciple of Minato.

"Yeah. She's an S-Rank nuke nin right? From the bingo book tou-san has, she has two kekkei genkai. One from her Uchiha bloodline, and another mysterious one," Naruto said, sitting up.

"That's right. I see you studied hard," Kakashi praised.

"Thanks," Naruto said.

Then, Naruto fell into a deep sleep. Kakashi carried him to his bed and tucked him in. With that, he left.

Waiting for what would never come, Kakashi sat in Minato's living room for two hours. Kakashi knew he'd just crash on the cot in his office. He regretted not walking him home, making sure Minato saw his son, but he knew that the pained look Minato would have in his eyes would only crush Naruto even more.

* * *

><p>Dawn came. Naruto sent his chakra out to sense if his father had come home. No one was home except him. Naruto sighed. He got up and got dressed. He tied his hitai-ate on his forehead and walked out. In his pocket was a persimmon.<p>

On his way to the Academy for the last time, Naruto saw Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled and grinned.

"Hi, Naruto," Sasuke smiled.

The two walked in silence as they reached the Academy.

A huge group of girls surrounded the two.

Ever since Naruto's father was revealed to be the Yondaime Hokage, the girls not only fawned over Sasuke, but also fawned over Naruto. Of course, neither boy had any interest in any of these fangirls.

"Settle down, class!" Iruka yelled. The class took their seats and waited for him to continue.

"I'll read off the team assignments," Iruka said.

"Team 1…" he began.

Naruto and Sasuke zoned out for a bit until they heard their names.

"Team 7 is comprised of Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and…" Iruka stopped. "Just the two of you…"

Naruto and Sasuke ended up waiting for their sensei for three hours.

"Yo," a Jounin came in. His eyes flitted up to see Naruto and Sasuke.

"Kakashi-san," Naruto smiled. "Oh, I mean, Kakashi-sensei."

"Come up to the roof," Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

><p>"Introductions," Kakashi said. "Name, dream, hobby, likes, and dislikes. Start."<p>

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. My dream is to become Hokage. My hobby is training with Sasuke and reading. I like ramen. I don't like tomatoes," Naruto said.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. My dream is to bring a certain woman to justice. My hobby is training with Naruto and practicing jutsus. I like tomatoes. I don't like persimmons," Sasuke said. Naruto unconsciously put a hand on his pocket. Suddenly the persimmon in his pocket felt heavy.

"Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my dream, hobbies…likes…dislikes…" Kakashi sighed. "Well, normally we'd have a special mission tomorrow, but after thinking it over, I decided against it. I've devised an even better mission I made myself," Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Is it the bell test I heard about?" Naruto asked.

"That was the original plan. You two will find out what I'm thinking tomorrow at 7 sharp at Training Ground seven," Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"What do you want to do now?" Sasuke asked.

"I brought a snack, but you won't like it," Naruto said.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, a little eager.

"Persimmon," Naruto said. Sasuke's face turned cold.

"You know I don't eat that," Sasuke said.

"I know…but why not?" Naruto asked quietly. "Sorry, that's too personal. I shouldn't have asked."

Sasuke sighed. "We're friends. I'll tell you." Sasuke jumped across rooftops and ended up on the Hokage tower.

"Let's talk," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded.

"We both know Sumiko's favorite food was persimmon. After I saw all those bodies on the ground on that night, I could never forgive her for killing everyone. Still, it bothers me that she was the sister who I looked up to and strived to be, and then turned around and killed everyone. It doesn't match up," Sasuke said.

"It is strange. Still, Sumiko always seemed distant, almost like she was hiding pain all her life," Naruto looked into the sky.

"She was," a voice behind them said.

"Hokage-sama," Sasuke bowed.

"She was my disciple. Even from the early age of five, she seemed to be hiding something. I don't think we'll ever know unless we bring her to Konoha," Minato said.

"Won't we just kill her then?" Naruto said icily. "She's a murderer and a nuke nin."

Minato didn't respond immediately. "I'd make some arrangements to prevent her death."

Naruto balled up his fists. "Let's go, Sasuke."

Sasuke was surprised, but bowed and left. Minato was confused, but let them go.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

"He never had my concern in his mind. I can't say I'm second on his list of concerns…not even close. I'm dead last, at best. I'm probably just a figment of his imagination, a ghost of the past he wants to either get rid of or trade for the ghost of my mother," Naruto gritted his teeth. Sasuke put a comforting hand on his friend's back.

"I know what it feels like, not to be a parent's concern," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded and the two walked to their separate homes to await their mission.


	9. Chapter 9

"I've always wondered how you managed to come back into the world of the living," Kakashi drawled. To be honest, Naruto wanted to know and because of Minato's disposition towards him, he served as a go-between.

"I'm not sure, but I remember dying and then I was talking to this being and then I woke up in the forest. The first person I saw was Sumiko," Minato's mouth felt dry after saying her name. He'd found out that she'd killed everyone in the Uchiha clan minus her brothers and almost felt responsible since he'd taught her.

"Hm," Kakashi turned back to his book.

"Shouldn't you be with your team?" Minato asked after a pause of filling out paperwork.

"I am," Kakashi said.

"I see, clone," Minato glanced up at his student. "Oh…"

"What?"

"Speaking of Sumiko, she'd told me that I didn't have to spend all day here; I could leave a clone to do all the work," Minato said, almost giddy.

Kakashi nodded wearily. _Sensei is really out of it…_

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Sumiko decided to see how the village's defenses were. However, she noticed that at the gates, was Team 7. <em>No female in their team? Strange…<em>

Sumiko placed a distortion genjutsu on her and Kisame and they tailed the team to the Land of Waves.

At night, a day before they'd reach the Land of Waves, the team stopped to rest.

"I think someone is trailing us. Be on your guard," Kakashi told the two boys. They nodded.

Sumiko turned to look at Kisame with an amused look. Kisame smirked.

"I understand," Kisame said and disappeared. Sumiko let her smile fade away and she stepped out into the firelight.

"How sharp of you, Hatake Kakashi," Sumiko said, her sharingan glinting in the firelight.

"Uchiha Sumiko," Kakashi's voice had an edge to it.

"Sumiko," Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Come back to the village so that you can atone for your sins!" he gripped a kunai.

Sumiko had him on the ground before he knew it.

"Don't be foolish, Sasuke," Sumiko whispered. "You'll never be strong enough to bring me back."

"Get away from him," Kakashi said, revealing his sharingan. Sumiko closed her eyes and revealed her mangekyo sharingan.

"I don't think you'd want to do that," Sumiko threw Sasuke at a tree, hard enough to break something. Naruto charged at her with a kunai, but Sumiko simply turned him around to almost slice his own head off.

"I'll come back for you soon, Naruto," Sumiko faded into a swirl of snow.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked Sasuke. Sasuke winced but nodded.

Sumiko concealed her chakra and continued to follow them until they were fighting with Haku.

Sumiko was bored. Her life in the Akatsuki for the past four years was boring. Sumiko often went out to have some entertainment to simply get away from the routine and lifeless schedule that was the Akatsuki until they'd actually have to hunt for Bijuu.

As a result, Sumiko decided to kill Zabuza herself. There was no harm in killing him; he'd die anyway. He was useless except for his sword, which would be her payment to Kisame for him leaving her. They were supposed to be in pairs at all times anyway.

Sumiko cleared the mist easily. Not many nin knew how, but it was simple if one had chakra control down to the molecular level.

"Uchiha Sumiko, I'm honored to be in your presence," Zabuza smirked, despite his bloody arms.

"Those aren't very interesting last words," Sumiko said. Then she took out her sword and cut his head off within a split second. A flew specks of blood marked her face.

"You're messy," Sumiko clicked her tongue and wiped her face. Kakashi tried to charge at her, but her ice protected her.

"Are you related to him?" Sasuke asked, pointing to Haku. Sumiko looked at his bloody body and walked over.

"You didn't deserve this. I wish I was there for you," Sumiko said, caressing his face.

"Were you?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"Don't let your guard down around the enemy," Sumiko said as she pinned him to the floor with ice spears. Sasuke's eyes widened in fear.

"Give your nii-san my regards," Sumiko said, putting him under another genjutsu.

Sumiko walked away, feeling entertained enough for some time.

* * *

><p>Her ears perked up when she heard about the Chuunin Exams. She wanted to kill Orochimaru so badly it hurt.<p>

"What?" Pein asked. "What will Akatsuki get out of it in return?"

"I'll bring back a few rewards from bodies from the bingo book," Sumiko answered levelly. Pein thought it over.

"Fine," Pein acquiesced. This time, Kisame didn't want to go. Something about a rotten village or something.

"I need a team to go into Konoha under," Sumiko said. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll go," Deidara grinned.

"I have no choice," Sasori said.

"It seems interesting," Konan said. Konan always had had a soft spot for the young Uchiha. Sumiko nodded.

"We'll be going under the guise of Yukigakure no Sato," Sumiko said.

"It's fake, isn't it?" Deidara sighed.

"Of course. Would you like for Konoha to imprison us? We have hefty bounties, more if we're dead," Sumiko said. She pulled out some papers and headbands.

"I got these made. Henge into whatever form you'd like as a teen," Sumiko sighed as the three took the headbands.

* * *

><p>"Yukigakure?" Kotetsu asked. "Never heard of it, but your paperwork is in order. Welcome to Konoha."<p>

"Thank you," Sumiko said. The team began to walk into Konoha.

"The apartment is up there," Sumiko looked at her paperwork. "Set up traps."

The team walked up to normal apartment, one that held many rooms in it, probably standard issue for foreign teams.

"Yeah yeah," Deidara said. In his form of a normal looking boy with brown hair and blue eyes, Sumiko could've laughed at how intimidating he was in comparison to his form now.

Sumiko stood outside, getting a good look at the village. It hadn't changed much. The people milling about looked the same and the village seemed to be enjoying peace. For now.

"Sensei, I'm going to walk around," Sumiko said. Sasori nodded and Sumiko closed the door.

Sumiko slowly walked through the village, looking ahead instead of the people around her. Sumiko walked past a dango restaurant and a ramen shop. Her eyes drifted from each and saw Itachi eating dango and Kakashi slurping ramen. Smirking a little, she continued.

A few paces in front of her, two boys were arguing. A female approached one of them and was about to hit him.

Sumiko caught her arm and pushed her away roughly. Shock reflected in the three Konoha nins' eyes.

"Who're you?" she spat.

"I'm a genin from Yukigakure. I'd advise you not to do that," Sumiko's cold eyes carefully looked at this girl.

"But Naruto was arguing with Sasuke-kun! I'm sure as another girl you'd understand this type of situation," Sakura insisted.

"What's wrong with this 'Naruto'?" Sumiko asked.

"He's always with Sasuke-kun! I don't understand why Sasuke-kun wants to be friends with him, even if he' the Hokage's son," Sakura complained.

"The Hokage's son, huh," Sumiko smirked a little. She walked away and went into a shop. The two boys were following her. Sumiko had a kunai at both of their throats in a second.

"How may I help you?" Sumiko asked.

"Why did you do that? You're a foreign nin. We didn't need help," Sasuke said.

"But we're both grateful you did. Sakura can be kind of…strange sometimes," Naruto said. Sumiko flicked her kunai away.

"Hm," Sumiko walked to the produce section and bought about a dozen persimmons.

"You…like those, huh?" Sasuke sweatdropped.

"They don't have them where I am. They're my favorite," Sumiko said softly. Paying the cashier, she walked out.

Sasuke and Naruto couldn't help it, but something about this girl reminded them of someone they knew. Well, she had an aura of mystery, the kind that held pain, but had some bits of light in it. Sumiko sat in a park and sliced up some of the persimmons. She sliced them thinly in slices. Then she peeled off the thin strip of skin that was around the outer edge and ate it. Slipping the slice of inner fruit in her mouth, she smiled a little.

Her eyes flicked to the bushes. She threw a kunai and managed to nick Sasuke's shoulder.

"What?" Sumiko asked, irritated.

"Sorry, you just seem familiar," Sasuke apologized.

"Sasuke, let's head home," a male voice appeared. Sumiko clenched her fist.

"Ah, who is this?" Itachi asked. Her henge'd brown eyes met with his black ones.

"She's another genin from Yukigakure," Sasuke said. "She likes persimmons. A lot…"

"I'm Uchiha Itachi. This is my younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke," Itachi held out his hand in greeting. Sumiko shook it.

"I'm Kobayashi Yukiko," Sumiko said.

"I hope we meet again sometime," Itachi said politely and left.

Sumiko looked at her hands. Seeing the two of them reminded her of her sins, seeing blood in her hands again.  
>She knew from experience that blood didn't wash out, no matter how many times she's wash her hands.<p>

* * *

><p>Sumiko and Deidara and Konan walked into the room where the first exam would take place. Sumiko took a seat and watched as the Konoha nin came in with a loud entrance. Kabuto approached them and Sasuke asked him about a nin. Sumiko put some chakra to her ear and eavesdropped.<p>

"…she has black hair and green eyes and is from Yukigakure," Sasuke said. Sumiko narrowed her eyes but continued listening.

"Not much. Her team is a total mystery. Oh, wait…" Kabuto reread her card. "It says here she might possess a kekkei genkai, but I'm not sure."

"Really?" Sasuke asked, eyes scanning the room for her. His eyes found her and she glared. If looks could kill, Sasuke would've dropped dead.

When Sumiko found her seat, she was surprised to find that she sat next to Sasuke. He looked at her with curiosity.

"What?" Sumiko glared.

"Why're you always so rude to me anyway? I didn't do anything," Sasuke said. It was a valid statement.

"Your existence is troubling," Sumiko said.

"Hah? What am I supposed to do then? Die?" Sasuke frowned.

"Yes," Sumiko said. Ibiki started the exam.

Sasuke copied the person in front of him. It took half an hour to get the answers down and all the while, Sumiko was drawing on her paper. She drew Kushina and Itachi, two people if they were here, she'd trust with her life.

Sasuke looked over. He gasped and Sumiko erased some of Itachi's body and drew him as he looked the moment before he died. Sasuke clenched his fist.

"Is that your game? Kill the older Uchiha? Well, you're going to have to kill me first," Sasuke hissed.

"You're not worth killing," Sumiko replied. Then she drew herself, her real self. She wore a simple black shirt and grey pants. In her hands was a persimmon.

"That looks like my sister…" Sasuke said. Sumiko smirked. He was truly oblivious. But, he wasn't supposed to know.

"Oh? Who is that?"

"The S-Rank nuke nin," Sasuke said. "Uchiha Sumiko."

Sumiko heard Ibiki start talking again and she moved her eyes to look at him. Then many people dropped out and only a few teams were left.

"You pass," Ibiki said. Then Anko came in through the window and said to come to the Forest of Death the next morning at 7am.

Sumiko stood and walked out with her team.

* * *

><p>Sumiko saw a kunai graze Lee's cheek and Orochimaru behind him. Sumiko had to use all her willpower to not kill him, telling herself that she'd have plenty of opportunities in the Forest, where killing was allowed.<p>

Because their team was one too many for each team to have their own gate to enter through, their team shared a gate with Naruto and Sasuke.

"Hi," Sasuke said, recognizing her. Konan playfully punched Sumiko's side. Sumiko glared into the Forest and the moment they were allowed in, her team rushed in, much faster than Naruto's team.

"We have a former member to kill," Sumiko said. "Orochimaru."

"Sounds like fun!" Deidara smirked. He kneaded clay in his pouch and Konan had paper swirling around her.

Sumiko decided to kill every team they encountered, as a warm up. Most were simply Ame nin. A few Kiri nin and one team of Kumo nin.

The Kumo nin had actually put up a fight, while the Kiri nin and Ame nin used water style, something Sumiko excelled at. They were dead even before they'd used any techniques.

Night fell and Sumiko took first watch. _I can't wait to kill that snake bastard. There's no way he is placing the cursed seal on Sasuke. _

Sumiko sent out a clone to look for Sasuke and Naruto. She had to make sure Orochimaru hadn't tried to put the seal on early.

In the morning, they encountered no team. Sumiko led them to Naruto and Sasuke, one of which were frozen. Naruto was already unconscious from using the Kyuubi's power.

"Uchiha…Uchiha…" Orochimaru grinned. He raced towards Sasuke, but Sumiko kicked him away.

"Who are you?" Orochimaru growled, getting up. Sumiko quickly incapacitated Sasuke and put him in a heap next to Naruto. Now she could undo her henge. It was taking some chakra and she wanted to use all her power to kill this sick bastard.

"Ice Release: Ice Shards," Sumiko said and ice shards raced towards Orochimaru. He dodged and the ice pelted the ground.

Sumiko closed her eyes and revealed her mangekyo sharingan. Blood trickled down her cheek as Orochimaru burned.

The burnt part of him turned into snakes and burned to ash. Orochimaru grinned and sent multiple snakes heading her way.

Sumiko jumped and more ice shards came towards him.

* * *

><p>A bloody mess, Sumiko took his collar and glared. She put him under her most powerful genjutsu and once he began to scream, she sliced his head off and burned it with a simple fire style.<p>

She took his scroll and her team walked to the tower. They didn't go on trees; it seemed to be easier to simply walk. Plus, they were proud that the thorn in their side was dead, and as thanks to Sumiko, they walked, seeing how tired she was.

They threw the scrolls down and Sumiko redid her henge.

A normal Chuunin congratulated them and Sumiko simply tuned it out, lying on the floor in her own world.

Then the preliminaries began.


	10. Chapter 10

Sumiko was relieved to see that the Oto nin team had stepped out, including the team Kabuto led.

"There's only one thing left," Sumiko said to Konan.

"What?" Konan asked.

"Kabuto," Sumiko looked at him. His team was walking away.

"Withdraw," Sumiko said and ran after Kabuto.

"Kabuto-san," Sumiko called. He turned and smiled.

"Yes?" he asked. Fake panting, she placed a hand on his shoulder as if to catch her breath and get support. She looked back up at him and his eyes gazed into her mangekyo sharingan. She undid the henge and looked at Konan, who disappeared along with Deidara.

Kabuto began to scream. Sumiko gritted her teeth and stabbed him in the heart with an ice spear.

"Sumiko?" Sasuke's eyes widened.

Minato appeared next to her.

"You're not leaving again," Minato's cold voice rang in her ears.

Oh this would be fun.

"Hn," Sumiko looked at him and he avoided eye contact. So he had his wits about him.

She created an ice barrier around her and took a good look at everyone around her. Sasuke looked almost happy that his sister was here, but when her eyes met with his, his expression darkened. Naruto looked indifferent. She glanced up and saw Kakashi.

"Oh," Sumiko said quietly. She could leave easily. She disappeared in a swirl of snow and the only thing left behind was a persimmon.

Sasuke picked it up and squashed it in his hands. He shook. Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and saw that Sasuke had tears rolling down her cheeks.

"We will begin with the matches now," Hayate said.

_Neji Hyuuga vs Hinata Hyuuga._

Neji won by a landslide. Hinata, despite the amount of people rooting for her, lost. Naruto had almost killed Neji by strangling him out of anger.

"Don't think that you'll get away with hurting her!" Naruto growled. Minato gave him a scathing look and Naruto jumped back up to the second floor.

Naruto leaned on the wall next to Sasuke.

They exchanged a look and sighed.

"I wonder why Sumiko came into the exams in the first place…" Naruto mused.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded and the matches continued.

* * *

><p>Sumiko lay in her bed in silence. She enjoyed the silence. It was heavy and didn't allow much noise to break it, lest it be muffled and drowned out by the silence again.<p>

Her room was complete darkness. She felt the persimmons in her pocket and sighed.

"I don't know what to do…" Sumiko whispered. _I was thrown back into another family. There's got to be a reason besides taking Itachi's place and saving him. Should I defect from here and protect Konoha? No, I'd be killed…wouldn't I? _

Sumiko turned over on her bed and stared in the darkness at what was her hand.

_Once I capture a Bijuu or two, then I should defect. By then, this whole charade would be boring. Hell, I'm already bored. _

A mirthless laugh pierced the silence. A grin made it's way across her lips and she sat up and walked out. Kisame asked her where she was going, and she didn't respond. She didn't even hear him.

Sumiko always had her valuables sealed in a scroll and it didn't matter she left some things behind. It wasn't like she needed them.

She walked outside the hideout and was nearly blinded by the sun. The base was underground and no light came in. Blinking a few times let her eyes adjust.

A small creek and trees until the horizon filled her vision. A few small fish swam in the water.

Sumiko walked until she'd reached a nearby village. People stared at the oddly dressed woman and a few ran away, seemingly intimidated.

"Do you have any spare change?" a small child came up to her. He smiled as Sumiko simply stared.

"No," Sumiko said and walked past.

The child persisted and before she knew it, he was following her everywhere.

Sumiko walked across water and the child simply swam across, trying as hard as he could.

Eventually, she arrived at where she wanted to be.

"Where are we anyway? We've been travelling for like…a month straight. How is it that you aren't tired?" the boy panted and looked up at her.

"I have someone to talk to," Sumiko said. She took off her cloak and handed it to the boy. At a nondescript building, Sumiko pushed open the doors.

"An onsen?" the boy asked.

"It's the only one of its kind in the Land of Fire," Sumiko explained.

"What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes.

"I mean that this is one onsen. Not two," Sumiko glanced at the boy if he understood. A red face said he did.

"I'm not going in if you are!" he shook his head furiously.

Sumiko released killer intent and he quickly stripped with a bright red face and Sumiko followed suit. She grabbed him and threw him in to the onsen.

"Ugh, it's another guy," a man grumbled. "Why aren't any women coming?"

Sumiko stepped in and she could see the man had take notice. He stared like there was no tomorrow.

Like any Uchiha, she had pale skin and black hair and eyes.

"You're…" the white-haired man narrowed his eyes. Sumiko simply waited and draped her arms along the edge of the onsen.

"Uchiha Sumiko," he whispered, as if her name in itself invoked the woman herself.

"Yes?" Sumiko's black eyes flitted to him.

"Why are you here?" his hands moved close together to form seals if necessary.

"We need to talk," Sumiko said.

"About?"

"I've defected. The Akatsuki's motives, do you know them?" Sumiko asked.

"As if I'd believe a traitor like you," Jiraiya frowned. Sumiko's eyes turned blood red.

"But it wouldn't hurt to listen," he amended.

"They're after Naruto. I'm sure you know why," Sumiko replied.

"The seal?" Jiraiya asked. She nodded. He looked at the child.

"Who is this brat?" Jiraiya asked.

"This is my disciple," Sumiko said.

"Oh, you have a heart now? You're not going to kill this kid like you killed every single one in your clan?" Jiraiya taunted.

"You know nothing," Sumiko said. Her eyes seemed to bore holes in him.

"You killed all of them! They were innocent, all of them! But you didn't kill your brothers…" Jiraiya said. "I wonder why."

"It was on a whim, you ignorant man. Enough of the Uchiha. I—"

"Heh, you don't like to talk about that? Do you feel guilt? Remorse? Sorrow?" Jiraiya growled. "I had friends you killed. And without a second thought, you killed them!"

Sumiko had suddenly frozen the entire onsen. She walked through it like it wasn't there.

"Heed my words, you toad. If you don't, many will lose their lives unnecessarily. Now, if Minato would get his head out of his wife's grave and look at Naruto and protect him like I would if I could, no one would die and Naruto would be able to live without the threat of the Akatsuki," Sumiko punched him across his face.

"You know, I never thought you'd say 'protect him like I would if I could'. Does that imply you care for your sensei's son?" Jiraiya smirked weakly, even if he could feel the ice not only sucking the heat from him, making hypothermia a threat (the irony) but also his chakra.

Sumiko gritted her teeth. "I wish you'd stop talking like that. You think nuke nin didn't have pasts, they didn't have emotions or people they cared for. I'll tell you this: I didn't leave my brothers alone on a whim. I couldn't kill them. I'll let you figure out what I mean."

The ice cracked and the hot water began to flow again.

"You know, Naruto is here with me," Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "What if he heard you?"

"Yeah, what if he did?" a familiar voice asked. Sumiko looked over lazily and saw said blonde.

"Naruto," Sumiko addressed.

"I never thought you cared…about me or Sasuke. I knew you tried when I was little. Still, I know something snapped. Something within the clan. I don't think it was you. You're too level headed for that," Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Don't," Sumiko warned. Naruto knew he'd hit a soft spot.

"So it was the Uchiha clan. I always knew that clan was…on edge. Always seemingly anxious or ready for a fight at any moment," Naruto said. He suddenly felt his body slammed against a wall. He groaned in pain and his vision was fuzzy.

"Don't even try it," Sumiko said. She grabbed the boy and went off.

* * *

><p>Word quickly spread of Sumiko's defection. Since the Akatsuki were different from any type of organization, they did nothing to get her back. They knew, somehow, they'd be obliterated.<p>

Her defection unnerved the Elemental Nations. Kage were on edge and border patrol had an air of fear. They knew she'd come up on their sensors sooner or later. It was only a matter of time until she reappeared, with bloody murders trailing her footsteps.

* * *

><p>Sumiko walked into the Wind Country. Sand blew in her face and she squinted. Glancing back at the boy, he looked…pale. His eyes glazed over and his steps were uneven.<p>

"You're sick," Sumiko stated.

"No…let's keep going," he insisted.

"You're not afraid of me?" Sumiko asked. "Even after you found out who I was?"

"No…it's better to be with you since you're powerful," he said.

"Hn," Sumiko grabbed him and slung him over her shoulder. _So he's assuming I'll protect him? Interesting…_

It took days to cross the sands of the Wind Country. When she arrived, the border patrol was frozen in place. They stared, scared out of their minds. A collective phrase gathered in their eyes: I'm going to die.

It proved to be true. Sumiko took advantage of the amount of water in their blood and froze it. Then she expanded the ice until only shreds of cold flesh remained.

Shinobi quickly ran to engage her in battle, only to be killed easily, some with their own kunai turned against them.

Sumiko knew she was taking advantage of the state of Suna. The shinobi knew it and wished she'd never come.

Since Orochimaru was killed, Suna was left without a Kage, temporarily. The council was almost done with their selections, and then a few more days to finalize paperwork and make it official.

It took only about an hour to take down most of their shinobi. The better the shinobi, the less of them was there. Hell, they didn't even have their jinchuuriki in the village; he was in Konoha.

* * *

><p>Sumiko walked away, her clothes slightly sandy and singed. The village was in flames and she knew what would happen next: the rest of the villages would mobilize against her, only to be attacked by the rest of the Akatsuki.<p>

A grin made its way across her face. _Amazing…_

The boy, at this point, was unable to move.

Sumiko used a henge and walked into a small town. She found a small clinic and admitted him.

Sumiko sat on the chairs and waited for him to released.

After an hour, the nurse came to her.

"Are you his guardian?"

"Yeah," Sumiko answered.

"Well, he's awfully sick. He's going to have to stay for a while…maybe a month or two?" she held her clipboard tightly.

"That's fine with me. I'll stay in one of the inns nearby so you can find me when you want," Sumiko stood and left. The nurse's hand almost reached out, thinking it was strange a guardian would be that trusting. The nurse thought she was either an idiot or over-confident. Shaking her head, she went back to make sure the boy was okay, assuming the former.

* * *

><p>"What?" Minato's hands slammed on his desk in surprise.<p>

"Yes, that is what the report says," a Chuunin said nervously.

Minato groaned and slumped in his chair.

"Summon Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi…" Minato hummed in thought. "And Jiraiya-sensei if he's here in Konoha."

"Hai," the Chuunin left.

In three minutes, his favorite student came strolling through the door, along with an Uchiha.

"Yes?" Kakashi drawled.

"Have you heard about Suna?" Minato didn't beat around the bush.

"I've heard basic outlines. Are you going to send me?" Kakashi asked.

"Very soon, yes. I'll come as well. Sarutobi-sama will fill in for me while I'm gone," Minato said. He turned to Itachi.

"You as well, Itachi. Both of your are needed if we're going up against another sharingan user," Minato's mouth felt dry even without saying her name.

"Hai," Itachi answered.

"Sensei, I wouldn't normally say this, but tomorrow is the final round. I can't miss it," Kakashi said with an air of finality.

"But…you can…" Minato tried to argue. Itachi looked uncomfortable and glanced at Kakashi nervously.

"Hokage-sama, I can't miss Sasuke's match," Itachi said.

"I won't miss Naruto's match," Kakashi repeated.

Minato bit his lip.

"They're both fine…Naruto will be fine…tomorrow the three of us will go if Jiraiya-sensei doesn't show up…right?" Minato tried to weakly argue.

"I'm sorry, sensei," Kakashi said, his nonchalant body language contradicting the angry glint in his eye.

"You can go, Itachi. I have to talk to Kakashi," Minato said. Itachi bowed and left.

"What?" Kakashi asked, irritated.

"Why do you worry so much for Naruto? He's my son, he'll be fine," Minato said, his argument formulated in his head.

Kakashi balled his fists.

"I don't understand why you don't worry. He's your son is the reason you should worry. If Kushina-san were here, she'd be so angry with you for abandoning your son even when you have free time. You could leave a clone and spend time getting to know the child whose life you died protecting," Kakashi growled. Minato was shocked. He never thought Kakashi cared so much for Naruto.

"It's complicated. I wouldn't expect a person without a child to understand my feelings as a parent," Minato said. Kakashi was fed up. He closed his visible eye in total shock and anger and disappointment in his sensei and pity for Naruto that he simply left without another word.


End file.
